MS Comments

From: Maggie Rawlings (
Date: Sun, 16 Nov 1997 10:30:03 -0600
Subject: Viruses and MS

For what it's worth....

I've just recently read Robin Norris' paper regarding the possible relationship of EBV and HHV-6 to MS. From what I can ascertain, being a pedestrian at MS research, is that it is a regurgitation of all the same old info and that researchers are still no farther in determining a causal relationship. I do remind myself, this is a student paper, and a good one at that, but it doesn't hold anything I haven't read before.

Basically, a higher evidence of antibodies in MS subjects vs. controls is reported, but nothing which cannot be refuted with larger studies. (please correct me if I am wrong!) Also, in my mind, anyone reporting the possible connection between tonsillectomies and MS is reaching at best. Could be that I react this way since I still have my tonsils and I still have MS.

What I would like to see is the following study:

--medications and adolescent diseases; the possibility of MS caused by the combination of childhood viruses, genetic suseptibility, and aspirin or antibiotics; the possible relationship between Reyes Syndrome and MS.

Approaches to this disease have either been to simple or too remote (as in corona viruses). I think it is a combination of factors and that research should approach it as such. I also think closer attention should be paid to changes at the cellular level, not immunal mimicry.

I contend that the problem is not with our immune systems, but that something is changing oligodendrocyte structures making them suseptible to viral invasion.

My solution continues to be a massive database which provides as much historical and epidemiological data on each subject as possible and use virtual visualization to graphically depict this information. Youd be amazed how it can reveal information, relationships, etc., that are missed by lists, charts or graphs. This is evidenced by astrophysical research. (they've learned more about our galaxy than ever before from visualization of the data they've collected)

I think it is worth a shot, but would take a collaboration between medical, biological and computer scientists. Oh well, I can only hope. At least the remyelination is moving forward with the shaking puppy study.....


Margaret M. Rawlings

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Last modified: Tue Nov 18 10:55:24 PST 1997